Peach Salad with Goat Cheese

This Peach Salad with Goat Cheese is the perfect summer salad! Made with arugula, sliced almonds and the best balsamic dressing!

If you’re looking for the best way to use up peaches – try this peach salad with goat cheese!

After making healthy food for years, we’ve become pros at making a salad that’s not only good for you, but actually tastes good too!

This salad truly is the perfect salad. Sweet peaches, creamy goat cheese, crunchy croutons, peppery arugula – all tossed in the most delicious (and super easy to make!) balsamic dressing.

Peach salad with goat cheese on two white plate with more fresh peaches on the side.

why we love this peach goat cheese salad

Unique flavor combo – this salad is the perfect balance of salty, sweet. Salty goat cheese, sweet peaches – the best basil balsamic dressing, it’s got it all going on!
Tons of texture – Unlike your usual mushy, boring salad – this salad is loaded with texture, crunchy almonds and creamy goat cheese- it’s anything but boring!
Easy to make – the homemade croutons take a little bit of extra work, but they’re worth it!

Ingredients:

olive oil and balsamic vinegar are the base of the dressing. Look for a good quality olive oil, we like extra virgin
fresh basil – fresh herbs really are best in this recipe. You can use dried basil, but we don’t recommend it
honey – this gives a little bit of sweetness to the dressing to balance out the acidity
salt & pepper
arugula
peaches – peaches should be firm to the touch but slightly soft if you press on the skin
goat cheese – feta would also work well
sliced almonds – I like sliced almonds better in salads for the texture. They’re thin and crispy
homemade croutons – these really are the BEST croutons you’ll ever make. They’re worth making from scratch!

SUBSTITUTIONS

Olive Oil: You can substitute olive oil for avocado oil, but we prefer to make our dressing with olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has the best flavor.

Basil: Please please please use fresh basil in this recipe! It really makes the dressing soooo much tastier. If you don’t have it you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil.

Honey: Don’t skip the honey. You could use a little bit of maple syrup instead.

Arugula: This salad also works with spinach or spring mix. I’ve made it with kale, but would recommend using baby kale over curly kale.

Peaches: Peaches are the star of this salad, but if you don’t have them you could substitute with fresh berries or apples.

Goat Cheese: I like the tang of goat cheese against the sweetness of the peaches, but you could substitute it with feta or shaved parmesan.

Almonds: Sliced almonds are best in this, but slivered almonds also work. You could substitute with candied walnuts, pecans, or even plain sunflower seeds for a nut free version.

Croutons: The homemade croutons are the best part of this salad! Take the time to make them over using store bought 🙂

How to Make Peach Salad

Homemade Balsamic dressing in a small food processor with fresh basil on the side.

In a food processor, blend all salad dressing ingredients until smooth.

A hand drizzling balsamic dressing over peach salad with goat cheese on a large white platter.

Toss arugula with peaches, goat cheese, sliced almonds, and croutons. Drizzle with some balsamic dressing and serve!

Peach Salad with goat cheese on a large white platter with gold utensils in it and fresh peaches on the side.

What to Serve with Peach Salad:

This peach salad is delicious on its own, but to add some protein, we love to pair it with:

Liz’s Tip for the best Salad:

Double the peaches: I personally love fruit in salad, and if you have super sweet peaches that are in season.. I’d double the amount the recipe calls for! The more, the better!

A close up of simple peach salad with goat cheese, homemade croutons, and sliced almonds.

Storage

Storing: This salad is best eaten fresh. If you store the dressing separately, it will last for 2 days in the refrigerator. If you’re going to store the salad overnight, I recommend adding a paper towel to the container – it will help prevent the greens from getting soggy.

The dressing will separate when it’s in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and shake vigorously to reconstitute it.

A simple peach salad topped with homemade croutons and sliced almonds with fresh peaches in the background.

Other healthy salad recipes: